


Of Wagers and Strawberry Cakes

by jychan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Competitive Childhood Friend, F/M, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Kenma's Other Neighbor, Kuroo Just Loves to Rile Her Up, Reader-chan does karate, Reader-chan is Kenma's age, Stay Strong Reader-chan, dense reader, love-hate relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23964727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jychan/pseuds/jychan
Summary: in which you are the person who lives at the other side of kenma’s houseakathe story why Nekoma has no female manager
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader
Comments: 26
Kudos: 298





	1. Chapter 1

Your first impression of Kuroo was a quiet, shy boy who seemed easy to bully.

You met Kuroo when you visited Kenma for the first time in weeks because you decided to do karate on a whim. You were losing for the umpteenth time against Kenma with his video games. Therefore, you were going to learn karate and beat him in the video game with your newly-profound knowledge, to which the boy convinced you that it did not work that way.

 _But no_.

You were adamant, leaving his room immediately to run to your mom that you were gonna learn karate and that you were never going back to Kenma’s house until you learned _enough_ to beat him.

However, by the time you returned to Kenma, after weeks of learning karate, you had been replaced by some awkward boy with a very bad case of bed hair.

“I’VE BEEN REPLACED? I’M NOT YOUR BEST FRIEND ANYMORE?” You pointed at the newcomer with a flabbergasted look.

Kenma raised an eyebrow over your sudden accusation.“What are you saying? Nobody said that I can’t play with two people at the same time.” 

You then learned the newcomer’s name — Kuroo Tetsurou. He recently transferred to your hometown with his dad and grandparents. But it was Kenma who did all the talking, making you wonder why this boy with a bad haircut was _so_ shy.

“Come on, let’s play. I’m gonna show you my skills!” You grinned, your fingers motioning for the controller. Kuroo immediately handed his as you grinned and tried to beat Kenma in this.

The keyword, however, was _tried_ as he ended up winning again.

“I already told you that learning karate in real life won’t help you.” Kenma let out an exasperated sigh, something oddly mature for his age.

But you refused to budge as you played another round. And another. And another until Kenma handed the controller to Kuroo who stayed quiet at the side. You even forgot he was here the whole time.

“Go on. You haven’t played in a while." Kenma stood up from his seat, motioning for Kuroo to move forward so that he could see the screen. Oddly enough, you and Kuroo were on par, but he managed to beat you at the last second, since you were out of practice.

“One more!” You grumbled as he nodded and the two of you restarted the game. Once you finally beat him after a few more rounds, you turned to Kenma with a smirk. “Come on, I’ve gotten the hang of it.” 

“We’re supposed to take turns. You’ve been playing for so long now. That’s being selfish."

“You’re so mean, Kenma! I just wanted to play with you after so long and now, you’re mad at me!”

“We can play together, but we all have to take turns. It’s not fair!”

“What’s not fair is that you suddenly replaced me with someone else just because I wanted to beat you in this game!”

“I told you that I didn’t replace you!” Kenma scratched his head, getting annoyed.

Meanwhile, the two of you didn’t notice that Kuroo had slipped out of the room, only to return with a volleyball in his hands.

“W-We won’t have to fight if we play volleyball. We can all play together at the same time,” he murmured, his voice reaching your ears for the first time. His voice was easy on the ears, making you wonder why he was quiet the whole time.

You and Kenma agreed without a second thought as the three of you left his room, looking for a free space where you could play. Being the newcomer, you were taught the rules of the game, its key positions, and the basic skills. They even showed you what a spike was, amazing you with its speed and power.

At the end of the day, you rushed to your mother, asking her to enroll you in volleyball lessons. However, she denied your request.

“My dear, didn’t you promise me that you were going to stick to karate this time?” Your mother smiled at you, but you suddenly felt a chill going down your spine. You suddenly had remembered all the times you wanted to do art lessons, piano lessons, and swimming lessons, only to quit after a month or two.

“B-B-but volleyball’s different! Kenma and Kuroo know how to play it, but I don’t! I don’t want to lose to them!”

“Oh, so they know how to play volleyball? Why don’t you ask them to teach you when you don’t have to attend your karate lessons, alright?” Your mother grinned as you realized that it was the end of the conversation. You frowned, sighing as you regretted your whims from a few weeks ago.

Now, you were going to be the only one who sucked in volleyball.

* * *

Gradually, Kuroo went out of his shell, especially when he gained other friends from the volleyball club in school. Meanwhile, you went to a different school as they did, your parents preferring to enroll you in an all-girls elevator school, where you could practice karate, something you flourished in surprisingly.

Contrary to the stereotype, you didn’t grow up becoming awkward with boys, since you still interacted with Kenma and Kuroo on a regular basis. In fact, you would even watch volleyball games with them in Kenma’s room when there was a big game. Sometimes, you’d grumble that it was boring, but they’d annoy you, telling you that you could always go home. Not wanting to be alone and to miss out anything, you’d suck it up.

Fortunately, it was easy to cheer for the Japan team, especially when they were so good. Every now and then, you’d let out a scream whenever they’d hit one for the team after a very long run rally.

“Oho, I thought it was boring?” Kuroo, whose personality had turned a 180 since the first time you met him, found happiness in teasing you. Lately, it seemed to be his favorite habit, much to your displeasure.

“Shut up, Kuroo.” 

“That’s Kuroo- _san_ to you. I’m older than you, you know.”

“Kenma calls you ‘Kuroo’ and we have the same age! What makes us different?”

“Kenma and I are friends. Didn’t you say that we _aren’t_ friends, hm?” He smirked, reminding you that you refused to call him your childhood friend. He was harboring such a big grudge against you for this. The only reason why you didn't call him that was because he kept annoying you recently.

“I’m going home!” You stormed out of Kenma’s room as Kuroo laughed at your walk-out. You knew that if you stayed one more minute in that room, you were going to wreak havoc and you would have punched him straight on his smug face.

While you and Kenma argued a lot when you were younger, Kuroo had taken Kenma's place when the three of you reached middle school. Recently, he’s been annoying you so much. In the past, he wasn’t even like this.

It was as if he was taking revenge for that horrible first meeting.

* * *

The next time you saw them was a few weeks after you stormed out of Kenma’s room. You never went back for a while because your blood would boil every time you thought about Kuroo. It also just so happened that you had to train harder for a junior competition in the Tokyo area.

Unfortunately, you lost, failing to place or even reach the semifinals. Remembering how hard you’ve worked for it and how a lot of people were counting on you to win, you were so disappointed on yourself for failing so badly. You cried alone on your bed, wrapping yourself with your blanket.

You heard the door open as you heard Kenma’s voice. “It’s me.” You nodded as he placed a plate of apple pie on your desk. He sat down at the side of your bed, patting your head as if to comfort you.

“I heard you fought against someone who was big in stature. Maybe, you should build up on muscle mass next time. I think you’re too thin.”

He was right, actually. The person you faced, even if she was in the same weight division and same age range as you were, was pretty muscular. You, on the other hand, _sigh_.

“Thank you.”

He patted you twice on your head before standing up and leaving you. _Ah, Kenma was really precious_. He’s definitely the best childhood friend you could ever ask for. He knew what exactly to tell you in his own Kenma-like way.

You pulled the sheets over your body, wondering if you should just sleep now, so you would feel better tomorrow. Though Kenma comforted you a bit, the stinging pain was still there. Maybe, a good night sleep might help you feel better.

A knock on the door interrupted your thoughts as Kenma’s _other_ neighbor went in. He placed something on your desk, but you didn’t look up to take a glance, preferring to hide underneath your blanket. You sincerely hoped that it wasn’t mackerel, though. Kenma had brought you his favorite food, apple pie, but Kuroo’s favorite food was grilled mackerel. You didn’t want your room to smell like fish.

“Really? Crying because you lost? It’s not like it’s the first time you lost, right?” His annoying voice irked you a lot, but you stayed silent. It _was_ your first loss. “Well, if it makes you feel better, my team lost again. We were up against this team that had a good libero. He was able to return all our spikes.”

 _That should’ve, at least, comforted you, right? That everybody suffered losses in life._ He crossed his fingers.

“Kenma’s better in comforting me.”

Kuroo scratched his head, wondering how he was going to put you back to your usual mood. He hated seeing you like this. “So, what are you gonna do then? Are you gonna mope around just because you lost? Well, it’s not like you enjoyed karate in the first place. You just joined it because you already knew how to do it, right?”

You shoved your blanket down, sitting up annoyed with what he just said. Did he just think you would waste time, effort, and money over something you didn’t like? “Whoever said that I didn’t enjoy karate? Why on Earth would I be playing for 7 years if I didn’t enjoy it? It’s so fun whenever I successfully pull off a kata flawlessly or when I win against a bigger opponent!”

He nearly laughed at the exasperated look on your face, remembering how you used to grumble about karate practices and lessons growing up. “So, if you’re enjoying it, are you just gonna mope now because you lost?”

You stayed silent as he smiling, knowing he had hit a nerve. 

“Oh my, I thought you loved challenges. Why are you instantly put off by just 1 loss?”

You still didn’t respond, but he knew that was a good sign. It meant that you were thinking hard about what he said.

“Hmm, wanna spice things up?”

You raised an eyebrow, knowing that nothing ever went right whenever you saw that smirk on his face. “What do you mean?” You asked hesitantly.

“Let’s make bets whenever we have a match or something. If you win a match, you get a favor. Same goes for me.”

“And what could our favors be about?”

“Anything!”

“Anything?”

“As long as it’s not illegal or will cause problems to the people around us.”

You thought about it for a while, wondering what he was going to get out of this. But you realized that even if Kuroo was good, that didn’t mean his teammates were also good. Karate, however, had individual matches, aside from team matches.

In other words, the odds were in your favor.

“Deal.”

Kuroo grinned, happy that you finally went back to the usual bright you. “Well then, just text me if you have a match soon.” He left afterwards, only for you to look at your desk, realizing that he left a slice of your favorite strawberry cake on your desk. You smiled to yourself, immediately digging in without a second thought.

* * *

As you had already predicted, the odds were, _indeed_ , in your favor.

Hence, you had a month’s supply of strawberry cake whenever you won a competition. It was like hitting three birds with one stone: you win a tournament, you get strawberry cake, and Kuroo’s wallet was suffering. Nothing made you happier than seeing him groan whenever you showed up with a medal in tow. Fortunately for him, karate competitions took place, at least, once a semester, and you didn’t include promotional exams.

There was one time, however, you didn’t cash in your medal.

You were about to head to his room to gloat when you heard from his grandparents that he was in Kenma’s because Kenma was sick. You rushed to Kenma’s house, hearing from the Kozume matriarch that Kenma was down with fever because he had a grueling day of practice, overexerting himself the day before. You run up to Kenma's room, only to find Kuroo peeping at Kenma through the door.

“This is all your fault!” You pointed at Kuroo as he turned to you, surprised at your sudden accusation. “You know that he doesn’t get a lot of exercise! While it’s good that volleyball keeps him going, it shouldn’t reach the point where he’s vomiting and down with fever!”

“It’s not like I wanted this to happen, okay?” Kuroo scratched his head.

The competition was near and the coach wanted everyone to be in good shape so that they would win. It had been years already since they last entered Nationals. They wanted it to happen so bad. Furthermore, there were rumors that Coach Nekomata was returning to coach them the following year, so they needed to do well to convince him to return.

“Well, you could've prevented Kenma from draining himself too much! You’re a smart guy, right? You could’ve at least checked up on him!”

“The two of are you are so loud.” Kenma interrupts your argument with Kuroo as he opens the door to his room. He looked so tired, a fever patch on his forehead.

“Why are you up? Go to sleep, okay?” You told him, motioning for him to go back inside.

“I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the one shouting here,” Kuroo murmured as you glared at his direction. He rolled his eyes. “Well then, I should probably go by now. Your _other_ neighbor can watch over you.” He left, feeling a bit sour over what happened. Kenma nods at him before going back inside his room.

“Wait, replace your fever patch. It’s dry and cold now.” You touched the patch on his forehead, realizing that it was time to replace it. He nodded as he lied back on his bed. “You’re not forcing yourself too much, are you?” You asked him.

He sighed, replacing the patch on his forehead. “While it’s not something I love so much, it’s not like I entirely hate it that I would quit on it.”

“You do know I just want you safe and sound, right?”

He nodded at your question. “Thank you,” he smiled as you turned off the lights in his room. You were about to leave when he calls your name one more time, making you stop on your tracks. “Go talk to Kuroo, alright? It’s not his fault.”

You knew Kenma wasn’t the type who could be forced to do something he hated. Nodding, you sighed, knowing that you were at fault this time. You made your way outside the Kozume household, only to find Kuroo lingering by the gates.

“How’s he?” Kuroo asked, a guilty look on his face.

“I think he’ll be better by tomorrow. I had him replace the patch on his forehead before I left.”

“I see.”

“Kuroo.”

“Hm?”

“I’m sorry.”

Kuroo is taken aback for a moment as he smiled for a moment before breaking into a smirk. “Am I hearing you sincerely apologizing for the first time?”

You rolled your eyes, feeling your blood boil yet again. But, you knew you were at fault this time so you were just going to swallow the insult that was about to leave your mouth. You turned around to your house’s direction, leaving him behind.

“Apology accepted, by the way.”

_Ah. How you hated that idiot so much._

* * *

The first time you saw them in an actual match in high school was when you heard that Kenma was going to play as a regular setter for the first time.

Fortunately, your competition was already over, so you could excuse yourself from practices on that day. You were excited to finally see them in an actual match, as you made your way through the seats that was on Nekoma’s side of the court. You heard it was their second game of the day, but you failed to wake up early and you also got lost on the way to the gym. You didn't bother asking them about the directions since you wanted to surprise Kenma.

Yes, _just_ Kenma. 

You saw the team enter the grounds as they started to warm up, doing serves and spikes to start their gears on. Your eyes widened at the sight of Kenma passing a toss to a teammate. He was actually moving! He wasn’t just sitting on the bench and playing a game on the side. He was even talking with his teammates! You recognized some of them from the pictures that Kuroo showed you, but you had yet to meet any of them. You were brought back to reality when you heard girls squealing and shouting a very familiar name.

“Good luck, Kuroo-kun! _Kyaaa_!”

You blinked for a moment, realizing they were referring to Kuroo Tetsurou who successfully spiked a ball to the other side of the court. _Seriously?_

“Oh my god, he’s so handsome and hot! Just look at those biceps”

“He looks very mature, right? Isn’t he just in second year?”

“Yes, yes! We can still see him next year!”

“I should apply as Nekoma’s Manager, then! At least, I have a year to get closer to him!”

“That’s not fair, Hanako- _chan_!”

You cringed, realizing that people actually looked at Kuroo in _that_ way. Was he actually famous in Nekoma? You were in a different high school as they were, so you never knew. But, from the looks of it, Kuroo was someone very desirable to people. It’s not like he was _that_ handsome or _that_ hot. Maybe, he had a few muscles here and there, but not enough to make people swoon, though? 

The team was actually doing a good job, their spikes making it through, but for some reason, the other team still managed to stop a few of their spikes. Nekoma’s blocks were also doing great, but some still literally slipped through Kuroo’s fingers. This caused them to lose the game, immediately cutting their chance to make it to the Nationals. Some of their teammates cried as they patted each other, a bit of frustration on their faces for failing to reach their goal of reaching Nationals.

“I heard that the third years were going to retire already. I guess that makes Kuroo the captain now!” You were still eavesdropping from the girls who sat in front of you.

It was not surprising because Kuroo had good leadership skills. He might be sneaky and scheming, but you knew he had a good head on his shoulders. It was easy for him to defuse any tension, even when he was younger. 

“Thank you very much!” The team thanked the crowd that supported them as everybody cheered and clapped for the team for their effort. You did the same until you realized that Kuroo noticed you from afar. He sent a very irritating smile to your direction and waved, making the girls in front of you squeal. You knew that he knew that _that_ particular smile irritated you a lot. He then called Kenma’s attention, motioning to your direction. Kenma nodded at you, acknowledging your presence. You smiled and waved at the now-blond setter.

You made your way to them as you gave a hug to Kenma, who was a bit annoyed because of the weather, but still tolerated it because of your history together. “You did so well, Kenma! I’m so proud of you!” You complimented him, narrating the tricks he made during the entire game. He just nodded at every compliment you gave him until you’ve had your own fill of narrating the entire game.

“We still lost, though.”

“Are you kidding me? The fact that you’re actually moving more than you usually did is the biggest surprise of my life!” Kenma frowned, breaking away from the hug, taking out his PSP and walking away, annoyed. You saw his teammates, hovering around him and asking him about you. He introduced you in your behalf, telling them your name, your school, and your relation to him and Kuroo.

“Hello! It’s very nice to meet you all!” You smiled and waved at them as they introduced themselves one by one, giving their names, year, and position. Fortunately, it was easy to recognize them, with Kenma giving you a few anecdotes about his teammates ("I could never understand why Tora's very fired up always." "Fukunaga's usually quiet, but he wouldn't hesitate to throw water on your faces.") and Kuroo showing off pictures once in a while ("Don't you think I look the best in this photo?" "Do you know you're shorter than the shortest guy in our team?"). 

"Thank you very much for taking care of Kenma. He doesn't socialize a lot, but he's good on the inside." You gave a sincere bow, happy to finally meet the people behind the stories and pictures. At first, you felt left out whenever they'd talk about their teammates, but now, you figured why they enjoyed talking about them.

Kuroo rolled his eyes, walking nearer to you and his teammates. “Don’t get fooled, this girl’s crazy in the ins- OOOF.”

You elbowed Kuroo’s stomach, cutting off whatever he was about to say, as you gave a hearty chuckle, trying to mask the anger that was about to show up on your face. “What are you saying, Kuroo? Do you want to die, you crazy bastard?”

The others took that as a cue to leave, Yaku saying that they should start walking back to their bus. You and Kuroo trailed a bit behind them, walking slowly as he rubbed the stomach that you had elbowed, the pain written on his face. “That actually hurt, you know.”

“I know. I _intentionally_ exerted a lot of effort on that.”

He shakes his head, giving a light chuckle before sighing, realizing the reality before him. “We lost this time. I guess I won’t be getting that Perfume CD then.” You nodded, as he realized something. “Though I don’t think you’re gonna buy me one, because you might cancel it out with the medal you won a few weeks ago.”

You stopped on your tracks as you raised an eyebrow, suddenly remembering that you did forget to cash in one medal. _Ah. The one you forgot because you were angry with him because of what happened to Kenma._

You shook your head to what he said. “I was still gonna buy the CD for you if you actually won. You worked hard for it. It’s not fair to just cancel it out with a medal I earned.”

The two of you stopped walking as the Nekoma bus was already a few steps away. “How are you getting home? I won’t be able to walk with you because we still have to do some post-match evaluation,” he explained with a worried look on his face, hoping that you would understand.

You laughed at his expression. “I know that, you idiot. I play in a sports team, too, you know.”

"Well then, I’ll be on my way. Take care and don't randomly punch people. Message me when you get home, alright?”

You rolled your eyes as you started to walk away from the bus until you realized something very important. A voice in your head told you that you were going to regret if you didn’t do _it_. You weren't sure why, but you found yourself running back to his bus. You didn't even know why you wanted _this_ , but you knew you just had to tell him.

You _needed_ to tell him.

“Kuroo! I forgot something! I know now what I want!” He stopped on his tracks, turning to you, a surprised look on his face. You didn't even wait for him to say something as you immediately interjected, "I don’t want any female managers for Nekoma when you become captain.”

And there goes Yamamoto’s hopes and dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

You weren't sure why you suddenly said those words to him. As far as you were concerned, the words just came out of your mouth: “I don’t want any female managers for Nekoma when you become captain.”

Kuroo Tetsurou knew, however. Or he had an inkling at least.

He has long wanted this to happen since the day you cried for him when his team, Nekoma Elementary, failed to qualify for the semi-finals on his first tournament as a regular.

Your tears were streaming down your face on that day, making it seem like you were the one who lost, not him. He was startled because you were not a crybaby. You never cried when you fell on the ground while running or when you had bruises on your skin because of karate practices.

But now, you were crying for him.

_“You practiced so hard! And you love volleyball so much. I just hate that you didn’t win. You might stop playing because you lost!"_

_“Who said I'm going to stop? There’s always next year. And if we don’t win next year, the year after that. And then, the next. And the next.”_

Without realizing it, he already sealed his fate of playing with Nekoma until he reached high school. You stopped crying, all too happy that he was not going to stop playing. When you finally smiled, he didn't realize that you had slowly crept inside his heart.

His affection for you was no longer that of a mere childhood friend, growing more in the days that came.

And now finally, here you were, a desperate look on your face, asking him to not have a female manager on his team when he became captain. Was he allowed to suddenly feel hope after so long? Or was he just overthinking and setting himself up to false expectations?

“Did you hear me just now or have you gone deaf?” Your snarky tone was back, a hint of annoyance peeking. He laughed, apologizing, but nodded to your proposal.

After all, it never mattered to him if they had a female manager or not (except to Tora, of course.)

* * *

Returning the favor, he and Kenma decide to drop by to one of your practices. Kuroo wanted to see your school and your teammates, wanting to check if you were friends with them or awkward. You never talked about them, except when you talked about the results of your games.

Fortunately, the rapport seemed okay, seeing as how you guided the ones with lower belts, assisting your captain and coach. You _did_ get along with your teammates, seeing as how there was no awkwardness in your interactions with them. You were even laughing side-by-side with your teammates, showing expressions he never saw until now.

“Interested in doing karate now?” You grinned, making your way to him and Kenma. 

Kenma shook his head, immediately shutting the idea down. "It's not something I can keep up with." You and Kuroo laughed at the very Kenma-like response.

Some of your teammates went near the three of you, as you immediately introduced them to him and Kenma, stating their names, year, and belt color. From the way they greeted him and Kenma, it was clear that your team had a wide range of personalities — from the bookish type to the wild child type.

"These are the people I grew up with since I was small. Kozume Kenma, Kuroo Tetsuro. They're both from Nekoma. They decided to drop by for reasons they didn't tell me. They don't do karate, but they're in the volleyball team." Your small introduction earned 'oooh's from your teammates.

Kenma just gave a slight polite bow, feeling a bit awkward around strangers. “It’s nice to meet everyone."

On the other hand, Kuroo directed a smile and waved at your teammates. “I’m glad to see our dearest childhood friend having actual friends in school. You know that she can be cra- OW!” You kicked his shin without a second thought.

“You obviously don’t have to mind about this idiot.” You pointed at Kuroo. “I don’t call him my childhood friend. He’s just a person I’ve had the misfortune to know since we were kids.” The other girls laughed at the last part.

“What are you saying, _senpai_? Are you saying he’s your childhood crush? Like a first love or something?”

“Oh my gosh, that’s so romantic!”

"No wonder you're never interested with other boys!"

The other girls squealed as Kuroo tried to stop himself from laughing, seeing that you were about to blow up any minute now.

“Tomorrow’s practices are gonna start at 7 in the morning!” You immediately stormed to the lockers to change from your _gi_. Morning practices were under the vice-captain's jurisdiction. In other words, it was yours to decide.

“But you said we weren't going to-“

“7 in the morning, on the dot!”

He snickered a bit, but stopped when you directed a glare at him. Even if he enjoyed teasing you a lot, he knew that there was a bottom line. He sighed as Kenma grimaced, obviously judging him.

“What's with that look on your face?” Kuroo asked.

“Despite how things are at first glance, you’re pretty whipped, aren’t you, Kuroo?” He proceeded to take out his PSP, as if he didn't say anything. Kuroo couldn’t even retort back.

He lightly chuckled, accepting what the blond said. “I guess I am, huh?”

* * *

One time, Kuroo accidentally left his gym shoes at home. He normally has it inside his gym bag, but he had to dry off the bag because it was wet from the rain. The next morning before he left for class, he forgot to place back his shoes inside the bag, having only remembered his gym clothes.

Now, he had to wait for his grandfather to arrive with his gym shoes, sitting by the doors of the gym with just his socks. He was told to settle down to avoid slipping and risk injury.

“Some stupid asshole left his shoes at home. I wonder who.”

_Ah. That voice._

He turned and saw you smirk, waving a bag with his shoes inside. He rolled his eyes, making his way towards you.

“I thought my grandfather was going to bring my shoes?”

“And miss my chance of making fun of you? Why prevent me from this satisfaction?” You grinned as you gave him his shoes. He gives you a small ‘thanks’ as he wore them before joining the others for practice.

Practice went the usual but for some reason, he was making more mistakes than usual. Embarrassingly, a ball even hit him straight to his face, which made you burst into laughter at the side.

“Just go home already!” He grumbled, feeling annoyed that he was missing some shots and blocks.

“No way! I went all the way to your school to bring you your shoes and now you just want me to go home, you ungrateful brat!”

His teammates were startled, except for Kai and Yaku whom you've already met last time. They had already burst into laughter, amused that you were matching up to Kuroo. Kenma quietly sighed at the side, already used to your usual banter.

“You’re being distracting here!” He roared out.

However, he didn’t expect a certain person to side with you.

“It’s okay if she stays behind. You need practice on not losing your concentration, Kuroo.” Coach Nekomata announced from the other side of the gym. Your eyes brightened upon hearing his coach defending you, much to his annoyance. You took off your shoes, going near to the old man to introduce yourself. He could not hear what the two of you were talking about, but the two of you were already laughing, showing that you had already gained their coach’s affections.

He decided to let you be, knowing he was going to have a long day. Today, they were working on spikes and quicks. He and Kenma also had to train a half-Russian teammate who just started to play volleyball in high school - Haiba Lev.

Once in a while, he made good plays, but most of the time, his serves and blocks were just below average. They were even making him do stronger and faster spikes, but he still couldn’t match up with Kenma. However, the one time he did it successfully, the ball whirled away from the court, heading to your direction.

“Watch out!” The others shouted, but you successfully parried the ball away with your arm, your eyes raising an eyebrow as if to say ‘are you forgetting I have a black belt?’

“Woah! That was so cool!” Lev shouted from the court, forgetting that he nearly hurt someone.

In response, you smirked and raised your head, full of pride. “That was nothing.”

However, Kuroo could see that your arm was stinging, a red swollen spot visibly throbbing on your arm. "You idiot. Learn to control the direction of the ball." He frowned, hitting Lev on his head. Lev nodded, clenching the bump on his head before he resumed on working on his spikes with Kenma.

Practices ended eventually and the team left the school together, but this time with an extra person - you. Kuroo couldn’t help dreaming that it would’ve been nice if you went to Nekoma since _this_ would have been a daily occurrence. But, seeing how his teammates were all over you as soon as practices ended, he knew it was for the best that you went to an all-girls’ school.

“You're from Kumagawa, right? Isn’t that an all-girls’ school?” Kai asked, recognizing your high school uniform.

“Ah yes, Kumagawa. That’s us, the Bears.”

While Nekoma was known as the Cats, your school was known as the Bears. The kanji didn't mean 'bears', but it just worked to give your school an animal nickname.

“I can’t believe they would call an all girls’ school ‘bears’,” Tora sighed, shaking his head.

“What's wrong the nickname?" Lev asked.

“I’m just saying that girls like her do not deserve to be called ‘bears.’”

Kuroo laughed, finding an opportunity to get back at you after that last time with your teammates. “Oh, for this girl over here,” he pointed to your direction, mirroring your action back then. “The nickname is well-deserv- OW!” You elbowed his stomach yet again, a gentle smile on your face as if he wasn’t clenching his stomach from the pain.

“Kuroo obviously meant that I'm like a teddy bear: cuddly and adorable.” You tucked a loose hair behind your ear, showing off your femininity, to which your two childhood friends rolled their eyes. “But hey, tell me how Kuroo and Kenma are in school. You surely must know some juicy stuff!” Your eyes fired up, hoping to pick up gossip from their teammates.

Kuroo looked at his teammates, the look on his face warning them what was to come if they told you anything. His teammates nodded, understanding the predicament he was in. Kenma didn't bother, knowing he had nothing incriminating unlike Kuroo.

“Well, Kenma’s usually by himself, so he barely talks to anyone in school outside of us. I wish I’d see the day he can speak to someone without being shy,” Yaku sighed at the last part, but you nodded to every word he said, agreeing with him.

“That’s true. He’s always by himself with his PSP. It’s so hard to convince him to go out once in a while, you know," you faked a tear as Kenma rolled his eyes. You laughed at his reaction before turning to their captain. “And what about this troublesome guy with a very bad case of bed hair?”

“As for Kuroo, he’s well-known in school for being mature and smart. Nothing much to talk about,” Yaku saves him for once and Kuroo is grateful for a friend like him. They may not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but he followed through this time for Kuroo’s sake. The others nodded, affirming what Yaku said.

 _Except_ for the one person who did not get the silent warning Kuroo made.

“Yaku-san’s right! But, didn’t a lot of girls confess to Kuroo-san recently ever since he became captain?” Lev blurted out, not realizing that his captain was going to kill him the next day during practice.

“What do you mean?” This earned your attention.

“I think people confess to him on a weekly or monthly basis? Just this afternoon before practices started, I saw girls going near hi-“

“They wanted to apply as managers for Nekoma. But, of course, I said no.” Kuroo immediately cut him off before he could blurt out more incriminating things. The half-Russian was _definitely_ getting an extra set of laps tomorrow.

“What? Some girls applied?” Tora whipped his head towards Kuroo, feeling a bit betrayed.

“I don’t think we’ll need Managers for the team, especially if they’ve all confessed to Kuroo or another member at some point.” Unexpectedly, it was Kenma who pulled the trigger, sealing Kuroo’s fate. Kuroo couldn't figure out what was in your head, however, because you just stayed silent with no reaction at all.

The three of you soon parted ways with the rest of the team upon reaching the bus stop, since the three of you had to ride a bus that would pass by your neighborhood. The three of you sat at the back of the bus, with Kenma immediately dozing off as soon as he sat down, knowing that you were there to wake him up. Kuroo was checking his phone, finally finding the time to check his messages.

“You have good teammates.”

Kuroo glanced up from his phone, surprised with your compliment. The team was loud and sometimes rowdy, but they were good and skilled.

“If they have a captain like me, of course, they’d turn out that way. “

You rolled your eyes, before changing the topic. “I’m surprised you followed through with your promise, especially when you have girls confessing to you left and right. Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “I’m not the type to break promises. I _do_ try my best to fulfill them. So, you better follow through with yours.”

You snorted. “When did I ever break my promises? You’ve known me since I was 7.”

“And still, you refuse to call me your childhood friend.”

You laughed at his ' _concern_.' “I’m very surprised a lot of girls are into you, though. Like wow? On a weekly or monthly basis?”

“Lev was exaggerating. But, you know that I can be _very_ charming at times.”

“Mmmhmmm,” You sounded unconvinced as he laughed. “Just don’t abandon me and Kenma when you say ‘yes’ to one soon, okay?”

He paused on his actions for a moment as he realized that you were _so_ dense for someone who was so good with karate. Maybe, you _did_ take a lot of hits to your head. How could he even abandon you and Kenma? The three of you have been hanging out together for so long. _And even more than that..._

“I’m not the type who’d say ‘yes’ to someone who suddenly confesses to me out of the blue, you know." He stood up from his seat as the bus was about to arrive to your stop, motioning for you to wake Kenma up.

“Oh yeah?” You nudged Kenma to wake him up. The blond woke up immediately as the three of you went near the exiting door. The bus came into a full stop as Kuroo turned to you with a smirk on his face.

“I’m more of the type to fall for girls I’ve known since I was 8.” 

He went down the bus, leaving you and Kenma behind, as he headed home without waiting for your response. From afar, he could hear Kenma telling you to 'stop spacing out and go down the bus already.' He chuckled to himself.

Surely, you weren’t _that_ dense, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so it was originally just going to end in this chapter, but I decided to add this chapter to show you Kuroo's side of the story. Was it okay? Did it portray Kuroo in his natural state? Send in some comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Manga spoilers! I tried to minimize it as much as I could, but it's so hard :(

The first thing that went inside your head was if there were other people whom he’d known since he was 8. Like, some classmate he knew since elementary or some of his friends from where he came from before moving to Tokyo. He obviously met other people, aside from you and Kenma, when he was 8. Surely, it wasn’t _you_ , right? However, contrary to common belief, you weren’t _that_ stupid. Once in a while, you were dense, but when he said those very words straight to your face, you knew whom he exactly meant, no matter how hard you tried to deny it.

_Oh, you definitely knew._

That was why it took you several weeks before you had the guts to hang out with them face-to-face, and not the usual random messages on your group chat. You waited for Golden Week before you told them that your schedule _suddenly_ became free and now, you wanted to invite them to watch a new movie that’s been the talk of the town lately.

Fortunately for you, they were in Miyagi, having a friendly match with an old rival of Nekoma - Karasuno. This was the first time you’ve heard of them, but you had a good feeling that that team was going to pop out more in your conversations with the boys in the next months.

So, now you settled with talking to them over the group chat, the same way you’ve been communicating with them in the past weeks. At least, Kenma was also here and you could contain yourself more, and not die from embarrassment.

> _You: soooo, did u make new friends?_
> 
> _Kenma: they were ok._
> 
> _You: omg, u did! What are their names? lemme look them up!!_
> 
> _Kuroo: howd you know Kenma made friends??? u stalker_
> 
> _You: he didn't say no! Im not stalking anyone >:( it's for research!!! just in case u know!!_
> 
> _You: oi kenma, drop their names! And please tell me you have pics!!_

You waited for 10 minutes. There was no response.

> _You: kenma?_

Another 10 minutes.

> _You: hello, my favorite neighbor???_

You lost your patience, resorting to privately messaging Kuroo, since Kenma wasn't replying. Maybe, he was lost in his games again. Now, messaging Kuroo wasn't something you would’ve done if you were in your regular mindset, but you were _desperate_.

> _You: where’s kenma?_
> 
> _Kuroo: asleep. We did around 8 rounds today. Enjoyed playing too much._
> 
> _You: is that even possible??? :OOO So, did you lose? >:) _
> 
> _Kuroo: i thought we were sticking to official matches for the wagers??? Are u breaking our rules??? And, the answer is no, HA_
> 
> _You: pshhh. Just wanted to know how it went, ok??? How’s Miyagi???_
> 
> _Kuroo: it was ok. They’re formidable opponents, esp in the future. Miyagi’s more quiet + fresh air + mountains_
> 
> _You: wow so did u do some hiking??? That sounds fun!!_
> 
> _Kuroo: Oh pls, we both know u hate hiking._
> 
> _You: shut up >:(_
> 
> _You: text me when u guys get home, ok?_
> 
> _Kuroo: Miss you._

You left him on read, too flustered to reply. Suddenly, all the courage you’ve gathered to meet up with them in person vanished just because of that two-word message. He wasn't even like this before. He would usually say something that would annoy or piss you off, but not like this where he would leave you flustered all over!

Fortunately, you wouldn't have the time to meet them anytime soon. The All-Japan Karate Competition for High School Students was on July that year. So, you would probably be too tired to drop by or even invite them during the weekends. Majority of your time would be spent in the _dojo_ , working on your stances and moves.

Your two neighbors understood your situation since they were part of another sports team themselves. When they had a tournament, you also wouldn’t see them the month leading to the competition. You'd usually just drop off sports drinks or their favorite snacks in their rooms when that happened, just to show your support.

Thus, it wasn’t surprising altogether that it was already during the summer break when you saw them in flesh. This time, their annual summer camp with other schools was held in Nekoma, so it was easier for you to visit and drop by. You had already called Coach Nekomata a few days prior to ask for permission, and he was all too happy that you’d offer to provide dessert for the team.

Hopefully by this time, you wouldn’t be so nervous or panicky around Kuroo, right? And maybe, whatever he felt might’ve faded a bit since you and Kuroo haven’t really talked properly for months (except that one message during Golden Week.)

You dropped by the camp before dinner, just in time for you to bring strawberry cakes for dessert. Kuroo was obviously surprised, not knowing that you planned to drop by. He was the first person you spotted, Kenma not being in the gym you checked first.

“What are you doing here?” was the first thing Kuroo told you in person in so many months. You were honestly taken aback that this was the first thing he said straight to your face after _that_. Maybe, you expected something better or light-hearted, but not 'what are you doing here.'

“I brought some food. It’s in the dining area now.”

He went near you, taking a whiff around you, making you feel conscious if you were stinky or something, but he chuckled. “Of course, you’d bring strawberry cake. I’m not even surprised.”

“Oho, are you Nekoma’s Manager?” An ash blond went near you and Kuroo, making you wonder if this person was from another school. He didn’t look familiar to you, but he seemed pretty close to Kuroo. 

Kuroo shook his head, answering in your stead, “On the contrary, she’s the reason why we don’t have a Manager.”

“Your girlfriend?” The ash blond smirked with a teasing look on his face. “It’s nice to meet you. The name’s Bokuto!”

“I'm not Kuroo's girlfriend, but it’s nice to meet you, too!” You were about to introduce yourself, but you suddenly spotted a certain blond Nekoma setter who passed by the gym. You quickly excused yourself from the two before running up to Kenma, enveloping him in a big hug, to which he visibly scowled. “Kenma! I haven’t seen you in months! I missed you so much!”

“We talk over the phone,” Kenma pointed out as you immediately released him from your clutches, grimacing from his sweat. You wiped your hands on his jacket, as he scowled, the words 'why are you wiping it on me when it's your fault for hugging me' plastered on his face.

“Texting is different from talking in person, dummy. Now, come on, go with me inside.”

“I’m through practicing for the day.”

“… please?” The tone of your voice was clearly different from how you called out to him earlier. You needed someone with you inside, aside from Kuroo. It wasn’t because you didn’t know the other people there, but because Kuroo was there himself.

Kenma sighed, painfully aware of how things have been awkward among the three of you. He wanted to feign ignorance, but he was in the bus that time too. _Why did Kuroo have to be so impatient?_ He grumbled inwardly, before giving in and walking back with you to the gym.

“Oh, I was wrong! It’s the setter’s girlfriend!” Bokuto deduced as Kenma and you immediately shook your heads. Bokuto laughed, seeing the look on your faces, but he was clearly amused about something you couldn’t pinpoint. “My bad, my bad. I was just wondering why you were here. Nothing wrong with it, though. Just surprised since Nekoma has no manager to help them out.”

You started to feel guilty, realizing what he said was true. They were probably having a hard time since they didn't have a manager who tend to them. When you gave the strawberry cake in the pantry area, you found that all the other schools had their own managers. Meanwhile, the Nekoma team was wasting time with the menial tasks when they could have practiced instead.

Unexpectedly, Kuroo came to your defense. “She brought dessert for dinner. Isn't she the greatest non-Manager?" He grinned to your direction, before turning back to Bokuto, "Besides, we don’t need a Manager. You know how we, cats, hate it when people go over our stuff.”

“Oooh, you brought dessert? That’s sweet of you! Maybe, I should get your number so that you can also give us nex-“

“I think I remembered Coach Nekomata wanting to talk to you if you dropped by. Why don’t I bring you to him?” Kuroo cut Bokuto off without hesitation, dragging you away the group.

You heard Bokuto laughing from the distance, but you were just dumbfounded by Kuroo's actions, who looked clearly agitated. You knew Coach Nekomata didn’t need anything from you, since you already dropped by his office before you went to look for Kuroo and Kenma. It slowly dawned on you why he dragged you away when Bokuto asked for your number. _Damn cats and their territoriality._

The two of you were already away from the gym when he stopped pulling you and released his grip on your wrist. “I think you should go home now. It’s getting late.” He stared at the sky, noting that the sun was already out.

“It’s too early for me to head home.” You pointed to your wristwatch. It was just seven in the evening.

“I won’t be able to bring you home. We’re sleeping here in Nekoma.”

“I can defend myself. You know that.”

He scratching his head before sighing, “I’m not saying you can’t. It’s just that knowing your proficiency in karate still won’t stop me from worrying since you aren’t exactly home and safe yet.”

You were so startled that you couldn’t respond to what he said until he left, hearing Bokuto calling his name from the gym. You stood still for a good five seconds as you finally realized the veracity behind his words. _Oh, he was worried of you._

Staring at Kuroo's back that was now heading back to the gym, you felt that his figure was changing before your eyes. Suddenly, he was nothing like how he was in the past. Suddenly, he was no longer the quiet, easy to bully type. Suddenly, he wasn’t also just that guy whom you would easily banter on a regular basis.

He just became _something else_ to you.

“I see you’ve finally started to pick things up on your side.” You were brought back to reality by Kenma’s words as the blond walked towards you, coming from the gym.

“What do you mean?”

“I guess you really aren’t that stupid, after all,” he sighed, tucking his PSP inside his pocket. “Come on, Kuroo told me to walk you to the bus stop.” You nodded as the two of you started walking to the bus stop near their school. The bus arrived soon after and you got on the bus, saying good-bye to Kenma. It was only after you sat on the same spot the three of you sat last time when you realized what Kenma said.

_Did he just call you stupid?_

* * *

The rest of the months passed by and it gradually became harder for you to meet up with them.

They were busy with their practices, as much as you were with yours. Plus, being vice-captain of the team meant more responsibilities for you, even if you did enjoy the responsibilities. It also didn’t help that the Promotional Exams were on August, making you busy with learning more _kata_ , so that you’d promote to a higher _dan_.

When you did get promoted, you wanted to tell them in person, but you knew they were tired from their practices. You heard the Spring High Play-Offs were near, so they were practicing harder than ever. During the weekends, they also had to rest, unless you wanted to see Kenma down with fever again. So, you settled with informing them over the group chat, to which they naturally congratulated you. You felt a bit sad because you _did_ miss them a lot.

The next day, you were surprised when you got home and saw a slice of strawberry cake on your desk. You didn’t even have to ask who gave you the strawberry cake. You smiled to yourself and thanked _him_ with a small message.

> _You: Thank you. But, u do know promotional exams arent part of the wagers, right?_
> 
> _Kuroo: they arent??? Drat._
> 
> _Kuroo: jk ofc i knew. but i just wanted to give u ur favorite cake. u deserve it._ _Miss you._
> 
> _You: Miss you and Kenma, too._

This time, you didn’t leave him on read. You didn’t want to be rude to him. Besides, you _actually_ did miss them a lot. So, there’s nothing wrong with saying that, right?

> _Kuroo: I’ll take what I can get._

* * *

The first time you saw Kuroo in months was a surprise on your side, but not on his. He told you he was sent on an errand, but you actually saw him from afar, waiting by your gate. You didn’t want to embarrass him, feeling a bit fuzzy that he was waiting for you.

“We qualified for the Nationals on January,” he told you smoothly, but you knew what that meant: I won a favor.

 _Ah. Was that why he was waiting?_ You felt a bit disappointed that there was no other reason for him to wait for you, but you tried not to let that show on your face, proud that he reached his goal of reaching the Nationals with his team. He worked so hard for this.

“Congratulations,” you smiled. “So, what do you want for this win?” Hopefully, Perfume albums weren’t that expensive.

“I want you to make a bento for me during the entire duration of our games in the Nationals.”

_Wait. What did he just-_

“You’re not allowed to say no. You already said we’re not cancelling out favors earned,” he reminded you, a stern look on his face.

“I wasn’t gonna say no. I was just surprised with what you wanted. You could always get something better.”

He snorted. “It’s your fault that we don’t have a Manager who could tend to us. Hence, you’re stuck to becoming _my_ Manager on those days.”

You weren’t sure why, but when he referred to you as his personal manager, it suddenly became harder to breathe all of a sudden, your heart beating faster than usual. You didn’t know what was going on, but seeing that he was waiting for your response, you tried to play it cool.

“F-Fine. It’s not like I can just say ‘no’, right?” He just smiled in a very irritating way, nodding. It’s like he knew what was on your mind.

“You know what I like to eat. So, I’ll be expecting a good bento from you. If we lose because I’m hungry or because of a stomach problem, you’ll owe me again because it’s your fault per se.”

“Why would it even be my fault when you wanted the bento yourself?” You narrowed your eyes, realizing how unfair it was.

“I won, remember? I never had problems complying with yours,” he reminded you of all the unreasonable, but safe favors he did for you. All the strawberry cakes you ate and the plushies that currently filled your room.

_Sigh._

“Fine.”

“You have a competition a few weeks before mine, right? I’ll try to drop by to wish you luck.”

You rolled your eyes. “You don’t have to.”

* * *

But, lo and behold, he did show up.

It was the final tournament in your second year, since the next one was going to be the one during summer. You were competing in both individual _kata_ and _kumite_ competitions in that tournament, since your other teammates wanted to concentrate on the group matches.

You unfortunately lost in the individual _kumite_ matches, your opponent outsmarting you at the last moment and hitting a full _ippon_ against you. However, you weren’t as down as you were before. Besides, you had one more year to compete. After what happened in middle school, you gradually learned how to cope up with your losses, preferring to learn from them to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

But, that didn’t stop your teammates from flocking near you and congratulating you for making it all the way to the semi-finals. You thanked and hugged them (all of you were already sweaty at this point) individually, until you spotted a familiar mop of bed hair from afar.

You were surprised to see Kuroo because you didn’t notice him until now. This time, Kenma wasn’t around, obviously preferring to stay at home and play with his games in this weather.

“Not going to cry this time?” He smirked, reminding you of what happened in middle school, as you made your way and gave him a hug, wanting to torment him with your sweat.

“Ha, I’m gonna drown you with my sweat. Take that.”

However, he laughed, hugging you back. Your plan to torment him backfired because now, you were the one being hugged and now, your heart was beating erratically. “You’ll always smell like strawberries to me,” you heard him murmur to your ears as you pushed him away from you.

Without a doubt, you were now red all over.

“Y-You weird ass!” You stormed away, running back to your teammates. You knew he was smirking, knowing you were flustered all over.

_How could he just outwit you all of a sudden? And that whisper on your ears, that was such a foul move!_

You turned to him, seeing him smiling directly at you. Painfully aware you were caught staring, you looked away from him, pretending to listen to your teammates who were talking about their matches. You laughed whenever they laughed, hoping to distract yourself from Kuroo. You took a big breath, knowing that you couldn’t be distracted until the end of your _kata_ match. Even if you weren't going to have a direct opponent to grapple with, it required a lot of discipline and concentration.

Whatever was going on between you and Kuroo needed to wait until the end of the tournament.

Fortunately, Kuroo being around was not a big distraction for you, since you were able to execute _unsu_ as practiced. At the end of your turn, you were out of breath, fully-drained, finally feeling the exhaustion from all the jumps and strains you made while performing that _kata_. You collapsed on your chair, wanting nothing but to lie down on your bed.

“You’re not supposed to rest immediately,” Kuroo pulled you up as you groaned. “Come on, let's go out so you can cool down. You don’t have any match after this, right?”

You shook your head. Fortunately, you only had to perform _kata_ once. Otherwise, you would’ve been a goner. You stood up as you heard Kuroo telling your teammates that you were just going to cool down outside, while they grinned suspiciously and nodded to him before sending a wink to your direction.

_What was that even supposed to mean?_

You ignored their glances as you reluctantly followed Kuroo outside. You started stretching your muscles, cooling down from all your physical activities the whole day. Today, you did four _kumite_ matches, and one _kata_ match, but your heart had yet to cool down, beating unusually fast as you stared at Kuroo, who was on his phone.

“Sorry. That was Coach Nekomata,” he apologized, placing back his phone inside his pocket. “But wow, seeing you today made me realize that I should not pull your leg too much.”

You rolled your eyes, knowing that he was lying, “Oh please. As if you’d ever stop annoying me.”

He laughed, holding up his hands, “You caught me. I don’t think I’ll _ever_ stop annoying you, if that’s one way to put it.”

You didn’t know why your stomach was in shambles, but your heart was still not calming down, even if you've already long accepted that he saw you in _that_ way. He wasn’t even forcing his feelings on you. Maybe, he was now more open about his feelings, but you barely saw any difference with how he’s treated you from before. 

“ _Senpai_! They’re announcing the results!” One of your teammates called you as you turned to her and nodded. You turned back to Kuroo, motioning for the two of you to go back inside, but he shook his head.

“I actually have to go now. Besides, I know you’ll probably have to celebrate with your team and have a post-tournament discussion." You nodded, but you suddenly wondered why it felt like _deja vu_. It was as if the two of you were in a similar situation in the past, but in reverse. _Was it that time when you didn't want a female manager in his team when he became captain?_

You were brought back to reality when he patted your head. "I’m sure you won something for _kata_. It doesn’t take much to know how much discipline you instilled on yourself to pull off those jumps and stances.”

“Well, I did put a lot of effort on that. And if I win a medal, I’ll just get something very expensive from you since I know I’ll have to get you something when you win next month,” you casually reminded him of his tournament as he blinked for a moment before laughing.

“Thanks for having that much faith in me.” He smiled, noticing that you said ‘when’, and not ‘if’. “So, I’ll see you next time.”

You smiled back and nodded, waving good-bye, before making your way back to your teammates. You turned back once more to his direction as he raised an eyebrow and motioned for you to run back inside.

And then, _it_ just hit you.

You finally realized why you felt nervous whenever you were with him, even when you've already long accepted that he likes you; why you were panicking when you thought that Nekoma would have a female manager who might get closer to Kuroo; why being with Kuroo suddenly felt different to you all of a sudden; why Kenma called you stupid a few months ago. 

You actually like Kuroo back.

* * *

This was your first time to go to a national tournament for volleyball. The intensity and atmosphere was slightly similar as karate national tournaments, but you knew your matches were less exhausting. Even if you did have to get more physical with karate, you didn’t have to go on several sets, playing for more than an hour or so, which they did in volleyball. 

You were walking side-by-side with the Nekoma team, wearing a red plain jacket, a black shirt, and black jogging pants so you would blend in with them. You carried a container full of honeyed lemons (for the team) and a bento (for Kuroo), an awkward look on your face. It felt weird that you weren't with your team in this kind of atmosphere.

“Here,” Kuroo handed you his jacket as you raised an eyebrow. “I’m obviously not wearing the jacket during the opening ceremony.”

“You have a bag.”

“… Just wear it.”

You sighed, handing him what you were carrying before slipping on his jacket. It was very big on you, forcing you fold the sleeves so that you would see your hands. But what actually bothered you was that it smelled like _him_. 

“Don’t go sniffing on it, you weirdo.” You blushed, knowing that you were caught. Fortunately before he could tease you even more, Coach Naoi cleared his throat, earning everybody’s attention. It was already time for the team to go line up for the ceremony.

“Good luck, everyone. I brought honeyed lemons. So, at least, you won’t die so much." You lifted the container, showing them the snacks you prepared for them. The team felt so moved, some of them having tears stream down their faces, as they looked at the container full of honeyed lemons that you especially made for them.

"Yay! We have snacks!"

“You’re the best!”

“Please be our manager!”

“You idiot! She’s in another school, that’s not possible!”

“Now, now, calm down.”

“Come on, let’s go,” Kuroo silenced everyone with just one line, reminding you why he was the captain in the first place. They started to walk to the meeting area, leaving you behind with the two coaches.

“I’ll be in your care again, Coach Nekomata, Coach Naoi,” you made a polite bow to the two older men, who chuckled and nodded. You left it to Kuroo to make up an excuse for you to be there the whole time.

“Thanks for taking care of the team this time. We usually make our other members do the tasks themselves, but I thought it would be okay to give them some slack during Nationals,” Coach Nekomata smiled as you nodded, sitting beside them.

The opening ceremony started as you noticed the teams started to enter the grounds. You realized that Bokuto’s team made it, and also Karasuno. _No wonder, Kenma was excited for the Nationals this time,_ you smiled, recalling a conversation you had with Nekoma over text a few days ago.

Soon, it was Nekoma’s turn to go in. Kuroo was holding the sign for Nekoma, a confident and suave look on his face as he walked towards their designated spot. You smiled to yourself, taking out your phone to snap a photo of them.

“What a good girlfriend.” You heard Coach Nekomata beside you as you blushed in embarrassment.

“W-We’re not together!” You immediately denied, to which the older man laughed at your expense. You made a decision over the break that even if you discovered that you liked Kuroo the same way as he did, you weren’t going to disturb him during the Nationals. You were probably going to hold off until the end of January because of the Center Test. The two of you were going to university, so you had to prioritize education first.

“You know what makes national competitions in high school different from league competitions?” Coach Nekomata suddenly asked you, earning your attention.

You shook your head.

“It’s youth,” the older coach responded as if it were a matter of fact, “The sweet sensation of youth, the kind of romance that you go through once in your life. It’s not going to happen again, and that’s what makes it bittersweet. That’s why people are into these high school tournaments, even when they know that the players aren’t as good as the professionals.”

You just nodded to his words, knowing that he was speaking from experience.

“That’s why, _ojou-chan_ , you have to take advantage of your youth and do things you won’t regret when you grow old, okay?” He smiled as you just nodded.

You weren’t sure what he was referring to, but something told you that maybe that was an answer to an unasked question you had in your mind. You smiled to yourself as the opening ceremony ended.

The first day of the tournament was fast, and the Nekoma team made it through the first round, which was no easy feat since 40 teams had been eliminated on that day. They were obviously tired, sluggishly making their way back to where they stayed. Meanwhile, you headed to the subway to go home. You didn’t stay with them, since you lived in Tokyo anyway and you also had to make Kuroo’s bento everyday.

The second day of the tournament went by also fast, but you knew that it was hard on Kenma. Their opponent tried to take advantage of Kenma’s weak stamina, only to be outwitted by Kenma's strategy in the end. They were stupid (or smart? You weren't sure) for thinking they could take advantage of Kenma’s stamina when he always manages to finish everything he needed to do, even when he was on the verge of dying or collapsing.

He was munching on a banana when you made your way to where they sat, since you always preferred to sit with the crowd during their matches. “Get some,” you motioned to the honeyed lemons you prepared for the team. Kenma took a lemon, munching on them before taking another.

“I’m proud of you,” you patted Kenma on the head, before wiping the sweat on Kuroo’s jacket, which was once again in your care. Kenma chuckled, realizing what you just did before giving a small 'thanks' and walking up to Kuroo, Yaku, and Kai. They were all looking at the other court where Karasuno was playing, waiting for the results of the match.

 _Of_ _course, they would be looking at Karasuno, waiting for them to win,_ you mused inwardly until your thoughts were interrupted.

“Can I get some, too?” Lev pointed to the honeyed lemons you were holding. You quickly nodded, motioning for him, Yamamoto, and Fukunaga to eat the snacks you prepared. It was fortunate that their match didn’t go beyond two sets; otherwise, Kenma might have been down with fever that night.

You checked their water bottles, realizing that some of them were already empty. “Let me refill them for you. Why don’t you rest and observe Karasuno for today? They’ll be your opponents tomorrow, right?” You offered as they thanked you, grateful for your help. You went to get water for them from the water fountain, carrying a bag that was full of empty water bottles. However, you felt someone bump into you from the back.

“You’re supposed to be _my_ personal manager, not the team’s manager,” Kuroo chastised you, taking the bag from you, carrying it in your stead.

“You’re all tired. On the other hand, I’m bored already. I have no other team to look out for in this tournament,” you grumbled as the two of you fell silent. It was as if you were saying that you went all the way here to watch them, and them alone. “I mean, I don’t know the other teams, you know, as much I know Nekoma and-“

“Yes, yes, I get it. No need to explain.” He messed up your hair, as you tried to elbow him in revenge, but he was able to dodge it, laughing. “I’ve learned how to dodge that, you know.”

You rolled your eyes as you waited for the last bottle to be refilled with water, taking off his jacket that was on you. “Go on. Wear it. You might get sick, if you underestimate the coldness.”

He smiled as he nodded, wearing his jacket, before the two of you made your way back to the team, him carrying the bag of filled water bottles.

_“That’s why, ojou-chan, you have to take advantage of your youth and do things you won’t regret when you grow old, okay?”_

Coach Nekomata’s words echoed inside your head as you paused on your tracks for a moment. Kuroo noticed you had stopped walking, making him turn to you with a raised eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

You smiled back at him. “Nothing. Let’s go back.”

_Maybe, after the Nationals._

You didn’t want to disturb him just like how he didn’t distract you during your competition. When you went back inside, Karasuno was making a comeback, finally keeping up with Inarizaki and lynching two straight goals in their last set, ending it with a 32-30 win.

“I guess, you’re making the Battle at the Garbage Dump a reality now, huh?” You smirked, turning to Kuroo whose eyes were all fired up. You turned to Kenma who had the same look on his face.

“Okay, let’s head off. Let’s go.” The rest of the team stood up from their seats on Kuroo's words. You handed two jackets to Kuroo and Kenma, knowing how these two were averse to coldness. You picked these jackets from their respective homes earlier that day, hearing how cold it was going to be that day. They thanked you briefly, wearing the two jackets, before leaving the grounds.

“I’ll be going home now, alright?” You told Kenma and Kuroo as you waved good-bye to the team, who thanked you for your efforts. You smiled back and bade good-bye before leaving.

You took a deep breath, staring at the dark sky, feeling excited for tomorrow. Tomorrow was definitely going to be an exciting day for everyone, you smiled to yourself as you entered the subway station.

* * *

The next day came fast as you prepared the bento for Kuroo earlier than usual. Their game was at 10AM, so you knew you had to prepare a good amount of food since he was bound to be hungry after their match. Regardless of how the game ended, he needed to eat good food to nourish himself.

“My, my, you’re pouring a lot of effort in the bento you’ve been bringing that boy from the other house, huh?” your mother teased you as you paid no attention to her.

“It’s a favor,” you tried to play it cool as she chuckled, leaving you behind in the kitchen to tend to your father who was about to leave for work. You smiled at the view of your parents being sweet to each other as you suddenly hit the end of the table with your foot, shaking the bento to fall on the floor.

“Oh no!” You tried to catch the bento, but its contents already fell on the floor. You sighed as you looked for some cloth to clean up the mess you made.

“What’s wrong?” Your mom asked before seeing the food on the floor. “Oh, just go make another one. I’ll clean that up. You should hurry up so you’ll make it in time before the games start.” She went to the kitchen to help you clean the mess as you hurriedly tried to make another bento.

 _That was not supposed to mean anything, right?_ You shook your head to rid of the ominous thought. This was not the time to doubt them, especially when they were in their most-awaited match. You hurriedly took a shower before changing into your usual attire, a red shirt and black leggings.

By the time you arrived in the gym, the match had already started and they were midway through the first set. You sighed, disappointed that you didn’t make it in time to cheer for them at the start, but you sat somewhere close, so you could still see them.

You needed to be close to them, just enough that you could see their faces, but not too close that they would notice. You braced yourself, holding on to your own jacket and the bento you made for Kuroo. You finally relaxed as they won the first set against Karasuno. You heard from the people around you that it was the first time someone won the first set against Karasuno. You smiled to yourself, relieved.

_There was nothing to be worried about, right?_

* * *

Unfortunately, the third set ultimately ended with Karasuno's win, the sweat on the ball causing the ball to literally slip from Kenma’s fingers, making it drop on the floor. You saw Kuroo immediately lying on his back, while Kenma sat on the floor, looking at his surroundings, before he lied on his back, as well.

Yet despite losing the game and cutting their chances to win the Nationals, you saw a contented look on Kenma's face, making you realize that he was gonna be okay. You saw Kenma turning to Kuroo, probably thanking him for getting him into volleyball, judging from the looks on their faces. You smiled to yourself, remembering the first time the three of you played volleyball together.

_“I-It’s difficult, but it’s really fun!” An eight-year-old Kuroo tried to convince you as he spiked the ball that Kenma sent his way. He later picked up the ball, handing it to Kenma to toss to you. “Why don’t you try it?”_

_You nodded as you tried to do what Kuroo did, but you weren't able to spike the ball, failing to match up with Kenma’s toss. You pouted, “It’s not fun at all! Do you find it fun, Kenma?”_

_“Not particularly.”_

But now, you were sure that if you asked him the same question, he was going to tell you that he did. You held back your tears, as both teams bowed to each other, thanking the other for playing a good game. The whole crowd clapped for them as the members of both teams hugged and patted each other.

Meanwhile, you turned your attention to the three graduating members of the team - Kuroo, Yaku, and Kai. A bittersweet look on their faces as they tried to stop their tears, but ultimately, Yaku could not hold back, tears streaming down his face. This was probably what Coach Nekomata referred to as the bittersweet taste of youth ending.

You stood up from your seat as you realized that Fukurodani was playing in Court C, right as Bokuto sent a winning smash to the other team. Kuroo was even watching their game with some of the members from Karasuno. You laughed to yourself, wondering if they forgot that they were in a match a while ago. You sighed, making your way to where they were going to exit.

“Thank you for all your hard work!” You greeted the team as you handed to them a container full of cold honeyed lemons. This time, you placed ice cubes made of lemonade so it would still be cold, but not diluted.

“Thank you very much!” The team thanked you in return, immediately launching on the container, while you went to your two childhood friends who were at the back of the crowd, a smile on their faces. They looked as if they’ve already recovered from their loss.

“Are you, two, really okay?” You asked them, still slightly worried.

Kenma gave a genuine smile, nodding, “I’m thankful I'm playing volleyball.”

“You have one more year. I know you’ll do a great job next year.”

“Thank you for being here the whole time. You did so much for the team in these three days,” Kenma thanked you as you chuckled and nodded.

However, you were startled when he wrapped you in a warm hug, initiating one for the first time since you were kids. You didn’t even mind that he was sweaty as you hugged him back. He finally released you soon after as he made his way to the rest of the team, leaving you with Kuroo.

“What? Are you going to cry now?” It was your turn now to tease him as he laughed at your quip.

“Been there, done that.”

“Really?” Your eyes widened, surprised that he cried and clearly disappointed that you missed the chance to see it. “You should’ve waited for me. I wanted to take pictures.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m sensing a lot of difference on how you just comforted me and Kenma.”

“Of course, the two of you are different. He’s my friend.”

He sighed, clicking his tongue twice. “Too bad that I didn’t get a medal this time. Wanted to cash it in to become your boyfriend. One word, by the way.”

You are startled by what he suddenly tells you as he walks ahead of you to catch up with his team, but you suddenly held on to his arm, stopping him from walking away. Coach Nekomata's words echoed in your head all of a sudden as you knew that this was the right time and that you shouldn't let go of this exact moment.

_“That’s why, ojou-chan, you have to take advantage of your youth and do things you won’t regret when you grow old, okay?”_

“I haven’t used my medal from a month ago yet. We could always use mine?” You casually suggested as his eyes widened, visibly surprised with what you just said. He clearly couldn’t understand if he heard you correctly and if he properly processed your words. He was clearly having a hard time believing what you were saying.

“What? Cat got your tongue? I thought you were part of Nekoma?” You teased him, finally realizing why he always enjoyed teasing you. It was fun to be on this end of the spectrum for once.

“Nah, I was always a dog person,” he grinned, recovering from the shock, before he pulled you closer, leaning in for a kiss on your lips. He pulled back when the two of you heard gasps and cheers from his team who were just a few steps ahead.

You were so startled that you didn’t have time to react to what just happened as he casually walked away to catch up with his team. It was as if he didn’t just become your boyfriend just a few moments ago. It was also as if he didn't kiss you so suddenly. You heard his team cheering on him and patting him on the back, as you suddenly realized what his words meant.

“D-Did you just call me a bitch?” You roared out loud as Kuroo turned to you with a smirk. Your jaw dropped before you ran up to him and landed a kick on his shin. For a moment, you wondered if it was too late to regret it. But, you knew you wouldn’t have it any other way.

In fact, maybe the reason why you never treated Kuroo as a childhood friend was because you’ve always wanted him to be your boyfriend.

And, indeed, he now was.

* * *

**OMAKE**

You were walking alongside Kuroo, Kai, and Yaku, when they suddenly stopped walking, recognizing the couple who was walking from the opposite way as the four of you. 

“Wow, he’s even taller up close!”

“He’s just got that rooster hair which makes him look taller than he is!”

The couple murmured to each other, not knowing that the four of you could actually hear it. You could sense Kuroo's patience thinning as you _tried_ to hold in your laughter, but it was _really_ hard. “Pfft. Rooster hair.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Kuroo frowned, staring at the boy who was glaring back at Kuroo. You suddenly felt that a confrontation was about to happen with how the two of them were sending heated stares at each other.

The other guy's girlfriend suddenly left, which made you also want to leave, not wanting to be part of what was about to happen. “I just realized I haven't checked the souvenirs. Play nice, okay?” You directed to Kuroo, knowing how relentless he was at annoying other people.

Kuroo didn't respond to what you said, making you feel uneasy about leaving, but Yaku and Kai silently told you with their slight nods that they were there to placate Kuroo just in case. Grateful for the two seniors, you headed towards the souvenirs, bumping into the same girl who just left. _So, she also headed here, huh?_

“Ah, you’re Nekoma’s captain’s girlfriend, right?” She recognized you just as you were about to deny it, but you stopped yourself as you realized that you were _now_ his girlfriend.

“Yup. That’s me,” you grinned, a warm feeling blossoming on your chest. You really needed to get used to this from now on.

“I hope they won’t hurl insults to each other too much,” she sighed as you agreed with her. You eventually learned that her name was Yamaka Mika and her boyfriend was the captain of a team that lost to Nekoma during the Play-Offs; hence, the intense atmosphere between the two. You briefly remembered Kuroo badmouthing a shitty guy from that tournament, but you zipped your mouth about it, not wanting to be part of their pettiness.

The two of you went back after a while, just as you heard Mika's boyfriend, cursing the Nekoma trio and raising his middle finger, but Mika had interrupted him, breaking the round of trash talking. You went near Kuroo, Yaku, and Kai, the latter giving a chuckle to whatever Yaku and Kuroo were murmuring about the other guy.

“Did you win?” You casually walked beside Kuroo as Kai and Yaku walked ahead to give the two of you some space.

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “I thought I had to play nice?”

“I just told you to play nice, but that didn’t mean you could lose,” you corrected him, tutting at the last part. “But, seeing as how he flared up at that last moment, good job.” You grinned, patting his head.

“Did I do such a good job? I think I deserve a reward,” Kuroo pulled you closer, wrapping his arms around your waist, ultimately trapping you in his hold. His face was getting nearer yours as you were slightly panicking, trying to look for a way out, but Yaku and Kai were already far away from the two of you.

“Get a room please,” Kenma muttered from behind you, as the two of you noticed him with Fukunaga and Yamamoto. You buried your head on Kuroo's chest, wanting to hide in embarrassment after being caught by the three sophomores from _his_ team. _Could the Earth just swallow you now?_

On the other hand, Kuroo just laughed as he released his hold on you, deciding that he was fine with only holding your hand _for now._ He directed you to their spot just as Fukurodani’s match was about to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this fic! I hope the final chapter was satisfying! I even included that omake just to show you if there was a change in the dynamics with Kenma and the couple. And I'm glad to say there's barely any difference, except with Kuroo being more of a flirt in public, but ofc, Kenma's there to shut him down. 
> 
> I might post an additional chapter once Furudate releases a chapter on Kuroo's whereabouts in 2018. For now, we'll leave it at this. But, you can expect that Reader-chan is still with Kuroo in 2018.


	4. post-time skip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things have been different since the love of your life was gone.

You woke up from another dreamless sleep, sweat enveloping you all over. You sighed to yourself, seeing the empty space beside you.

It’s been that way since _he_ was gone.

You tried to close off any memory that reminded you of him as you stood up and made your way outside, only to find your childhood best friend sipping a cup of coffee by himself. You felt your mouth water as you smelled the black coffee he surely made from premium beans.

“No, I’m not offering you a cup of coffee,” Kenma frowned, as you sighed. You tried to convince him, but he wouldn’t allow you, knowing how hard it was for you to sleep at night nowadays.

Things have been somber since the love of your life died. They tried to save him, but his life could not be salvaged anymore.

“It would’ve been his 24th birthday today,” you sighed to yourself as Kenma choked on his coffee.

“You-”

“I’ve already accepted he’s gone, Kenma. You don’t need to say anything,” you cut off your childhood friend, forcing a smile on your face.

Kenma sighed, scratching his head, “I’ll be in the living room to watch Shouyo’s game.”

“Alright.”

“And I’d like to remind you that my girlfriend’s sleeping here tonight.”

You frowned. “Senpai won’t mind if I’m crashing the night again, Kenma.”

“I do,” Kenma glared at you, a chill making its way down your spine. At the very least, you knew he didn’t appreciate you being a cockblock.

You sighed to yourself, rolling your eyes, “Fine. Be a heartless childhood friend when we’ve known each other since forever. I can’t believe you’re being difficult like this.”

Kenma raised an eyebrow, as if asking why you had the audacity to tell him that. You knew you were being difficult, as well, but you had a valid reason to be this way. He sighed before using his phone, probably texting his girlfriend that it was okay to sleep over.

Soon, the game started. You and Kenma were engrossed over the game between the Schweiden Adlers and MSBY Black Jackals. It was Hinata Shouyo’s first official game since he came back to Japan. You’ve met the guy back then after the Nekoma vs. Karasuno game in the 2013 Spring Tournament. Sometimes, you’d see him when he was visiting Kenma, too. Really friendly and was very passionate with his dreams, too.

It was easy to root for him.

The game soon ended with the Black Jackals winning. You were staring at the screen when you saw a familiar mop of black bedhair at the sidelines. You didn’t have to take a second glance to know who it was.

Kenma coughed twice, earning your attention, “The game’s over and my girlfriend’s arriving in a bit. I think it’s about time you leave.”

You tried your puppy dog eyes on Kenma, which obviously didn’t work. But, it did work on his girlfriend, who arrived after a bit.

”She doesn’t have to sleep over,” Kenma tried to convince his girlfriend.

”But, she’ll be by herself. We can’t just leave her alone when she’s in that state!”

Kenma sighed and hesitantly nodded, giving in to you and his girlfriend. 

You were happy that you can crash in Kenma’s place that night again.

* * *

It was already late at night and you were already asleep when a knock on your door woke you up. You checked your phone and realized that it was already three in the morning. You didn’t want to open the door, but that didn’t stop the person at the other side of the door. 

“Why are you cockblocking Kenma?” _He_ asked, entering the room without waiting for your permission.

“Oh, I hear his voice sometimes,” you muttered, not bothering to look up from your phone. There were dozens of messages and missed calls from him. Your phone was on silent the whole time.

“Are you seriously going to pretend that I’m dead every time you’re mad with me?” Kuroo frowned, making his way towards you before collapsing on the free side of the futon you were lying on.

“You haven’t even changed yet!” You grumbled, pointing out that he was wearing outside clothes on the bed, but he didn’t bother getting up.

“I was on the train for hours. Allow me this luxury,” he grumbled, his voice muffled from the pillow.

You sighed, annoyed that he stole your other pillow. You still didn’t want to look at him, though. “It would’ve been more comfortable if you went home, instead.”

He peeked at you from his position. “Is it really home when you’re not there?”

You have to admit that _that_ made your heart skip a beat.

It’s been years since you and Kuroo have been dating and the two of you have even moved in together after you graduated from university, but he still makes your heart flutter.

“And besides, I don’t want to spend my birthday alone. That’s gonna suck big time.”

You rolled your eyes, “As I was saying, I could have always gone with you to Sendai-“

“And risk the baby? You might get hit by a random ball and we know how hard Ushiwaka hits that ball! What if it hits you?”

_Ah, there he goes._

Ever since he found out you were pregnant, he has been such a worrywart. And that was why you hav been staying in Kenma’s place for the past few nights since Kuroo wasn’t in town, and he was worried that something might happen while you were alone.

It was cute at first, but it was getting annoying already. It was irking you that he has been treating you like an invalid since he found out that you were pregnant.

“I’m not an invalid, okay? I’m. Just. Pregnant!” You emphasized the last three words, hoping that it was gonna stick in his head this time. The look on his face makes you feel hopeful that it did.

”And stop being so paranoid. The ball’s not gonna divert sideways. Have you seen how accurate Ushiwaka’s spikes and service aces are? And besides, Hinata’s gonna divert it to the other side of the court! That boy’s doing so well, I’m so proud of him!” You were getting a bit teary-eyed as you remembered Hinata’s performance during the game.

The boy practically one-upped everyone! Or maybe, you were being biased, but whatever.

“I really thought that you’d be jealous that Kenma had another good friend.”

“I was really excited when I met him. Great guy, really.”

“You weren’t happy when you met me,” he casually pointed out as you turned to him finally for the first time.

“Hinata’s Hinata. You’re you.”

The two of you were silently staring at each other, a heart-fluttering atmosphere present until he decided to open his mouth.

“Or maybe because you had a crush on me back then and you couldn’t figure it out be-“

“The baby told me it wants me to kick Daddy off the futon because he’s so noisy,” you cut him off, kicking him away from the futon.

“Ha, nice try. Babies only respond to sounds from outside the womb at week 25. It’s only week 12,” he pointed out.

You weren’t surprised how he brought out that fact randomly. He usually had random trivia stored in some part of his brain that everyone thought he was going to be a doctor or a scientist, but here he was, working for the Japan Volleyball Association as an office worker.

“Hmph, whatever.”

However, he surprises you when he suddenly puts his agility from high school into use to steal a kiss from you. You blink for a few moments, astonished from what he just pulled off.

“Happy birthday to me,” he grinned, his signature Cheshire smile on his face.

_Ah, how annoying._

“Hmph, whatever.”

“Love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i tried to put in everything people assumed how Kuroo would turn out during the last arc. I recalled seeing tweets about people thinking that he was either dead or he was a doctor/scientist - but no, we were all wrong HAHAHA 
> 
> i hope u enjoyed this chapter. and wow thank u so much for all the kudos and reviews <3


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